29 May 2009

A Few Thoughts on Comics from this week

New Avengers #53 apparently reveals the identity of the new Sorcerer Supreme. Doctor Strange was that fellow but failed during World War Hulk and has had a crisis of confidence since. I'm not sure the identity of the new Sorcerer is a surprise; I think I guessed it after they identified their destination last issue. It might be interesting, especially if they do something with the character now as opposed to the character returning to limbo and Doc Strange reclaiming the mantle in a year or two. Fred Hembeck should be happy about this, if nothing else.

Nova #25 doesn't go double-sized or anything for the anniversary issue. A storyline wraps up and another starts. Perhaps it was the change in artist but the revelations that occurred this issue didn't seem as... impactful as some in recent issues. The story was still good but didn't grab me as much as they have of late.

Amazing Spider-Man #595 starts the storyline that will build to the anniversary #600 issue. Phil Jimenez's detailed art is a plus. Wolverine telling Pete to take out Norman Osborn is a plus. A page that harkens back to a classic John Romita image is a plus. The twist at the end having been ruined by solictations for later issues is a slight minus. So far, so good.

Avengers - The Initiative #24 shows a book still in transition. This was a book launched after the big 'Civil War' storyline and fit in that period. It doesn't fit as well post-'Secret Invasion' and it feels very much like a book trying to find a new footing. The writer seems to have a goal in mind and, were it not for that, I couldn't see continuing to read the book. That said, it needs to get to that new footing soon as it feels like it's a few months behind other books being released.

Incredible Hercules #129 starts something interesting. Hercules goes to Hades to find Zeus. Seeing the afterlife presented as a casino? Neat idea, especially for comics as the deceased are gambling for the jackpot of resurrection. This remains a solid book and a good read.

Amazing Spider-Man - The Short Halloween is the book written by Bill Hader and Seth Meyers from Saturday Night Live. It's a fun read. Had the double-sized issue been cut in two and presented in the normal Amazing, I wouldn't have been disappointed. It's a clever story and fun. I did expect it to be funnier considering the authors and that's the only disappointment I had with the book. It's funny but not Funny. Very worth reading all the same.

Muppet Robin Hood #1 was finally released this week, delayed from almost a month ago. It feels very Muppety, which is great. Kermit plays Robin Hood, which causes conversations amongst the characters as they're confused. 'Isn't Robin your nephew?' they ask. For Muppets, this sort of 'it's only a story' works in a way that it wouldn't for most characters. The art is interesting. I wasn't sure I was going to like it based on the covers as the characters are drawn in a different style. Certain characters don't lend themselves to artist interpretation as they don't look 'right', characters like Bugs Bunny or Mickey Mouse for instance. Once you get used to the style, these Muppets look right. This is the first time in 30 years that I can remember Miss Piggy looking cute. It feels weird. It's not that its a bad thing, it's just... different. Anyway, thumbs up. I saw a report that Boom! Studios has gotten the Disney license as well. I'm growing keen to see what they'll do with it based on their Muppet Comics.

28 May 2009

Yes, It Can Happen to You

We've probably all seen an article at some point that argues pop culture desensitizes people to suffering and pain. They'll point to some kid that goes around the bend and does something damaging to others. They dig into his interests and trot them out as an explanation; that he listened to this music, watched these movies, played these video games, tuned into these television shows. They can't explain why no one else that had these interests didn't snap like this one kid but that's because the answer is never as simple as all that.

Removing these extreme cases from the equation, I'm of the belief that what becomes damaged is a person's imagination. Whether it be from a lack of variety or an inability to read well or just plain simple-mindedness is unclear to me but what is clear is that people often aren't good at putting themselves in other people's shoes.

For instance, have you ever been watching a movie with your friends or family and a character in the film does something that, to you having extra knowledge of the situation because you're watching the film, is dumb but, from the limited knowledge the character has, isn't dumb? Has one of your group felt the need to comment "Well that was dumb. This movie is so stupid. Why would they do that?"? I'm not talking here of the ludicrous action, the 'I'll go into a darkened basement for no clear reason because the killer is down there and the writer needed a moment of tension here' kind of thing here. I mean more the 'I enter my home like I normally would, not turning on every light in the place because I have no reason to believe there's a killer in my closet' type thing. The sorts of things that normal people who don't know they're in a movie will do.

Or the 'how can they not hear that?' scoff? Are you familiar with that one? When the shadowy figure sneaks up on the unsuspecting worker that's busily involved with a task? Maybe the floor creaks a little and the worker keeps working, only to get attacked for all his hard work?

Then again, maybe people can put themselves in those situations. Maybe they're all too familiar to many people. Maybe it's not a lack of imagination, but plain ego. It's just that we'd like to think that, were we in the same situation, we'd be smarter than that. We'd be more on our toes than that. We'd fight back better than that. The killer could never sneak up on ME.

And, of course, for most of us, the killer could sneak up on us. It's just something we don't want to think about.

Yesterday I was vacuuming while listening to my iPod. I couldn't hear anything else, not anything at a reasonably normal volume anyway. No one was screaming in the room next to me so I didn't fully test the theory. Point is, even with the volume on the iPod relatively low, just loud enough to be able to make out what song was playing over the roar of the vacuum, I couldn't hear anything. Had a shadowy figure or a zombie or what-have-you been sneaking up on me, it probably would have been successful.

So it could happen, if you allow yourself to think about it.

27 May 2009

Progress That Doesn't Feel Like Progress is No Fun

I'm at a bit of a loss today. I forgot that new Comic day was delayed until tomorrow this week due to the holiday. All of a sudden mid-day I realized I would have time on my hands that I wasn't sure how to fill. I'm not doing a great job spending it wisely I must say. I've gotten some stuff done but not as much as I feel I should.

I should also have something to talk about here but nothing jumps to mind, nothing that I can turn into a full topic anyway. Haven't watched a movie of late. Brewers haven't played well this past week or so which is disappointing. In my opinion, basketball isn't a sport anymore but, beyond saying that, I haven't much else to add.

Hmm. Just spinning my tires in the mud. Still better than being the guy behind the car getting muddy.

25 May 2009

Taking Me Back

I've long wondered if there was something wrong with my nose. Flowers rarely have a smell to me. I mean, occasionally I'd smell something but it never seemed like much. If you had a large enough garden then I could smell them but have three or four in a pot, generally nothing.

Today I went out to my aunt and uncle's greenhouse. They took it over from my grandparents decades ago. When I was a kid, it was a summer playground for me. I was there a lot. In the past fifteen, twenty years, not so much. I walked in today and it was the same.

Well, not exactly completely the same. The building's settling was a bit further along and I had to duck on occasion where I wouldn't have had to do as a kid but, essentially, it was the same. Most importantly was the scent. Earth and flowers; exactly the same as I remember from being a kid. Strong and rich, surrounding me. That's what flowers smell like to me. I must have 'broken' my nose as a kid, gotten too used to this smell being the proper one.

Between all that and getting to see family again, it was a good time.

Now, if we could just figure out a way for my cousin and I to switch hairlines, things would be even better. He's got a full head of hair that he doesn't want and I don't and wouldn't mind more hair. Minor detail.

24 May 2009

A Few Thoughts on Comics from this week

Yes I know it's later than normal. I didn't feel well for a chunk of this week. Dagnabbit.

Not as much happened in Captain America #50 as I expected. I thought there'd be some big twist in the long term storyline but, if there was one, it was subtle. Maybe they're saving it for next month when they reset the numbering of the book to #600. Please don't ask me to explain setting numbers back; it's this whole 'having your cake and eating it too' concept that doesn't make a lot of sense.

Hulk #12... why I am still reading this? Solicts for July explain that soon we'll have this Hulk book and Incredible Hulk is returning after having been renamed Incredible Hercules (again, numbering, don't ask). I might get Incredible Hulk for awhile if Loeb isn't writing it. What annoys me about this book is that the Red Hulk is as all powerful as Loeb wants him to be in that second without any real explanation of what's going on. It might make sense once the origin of the Red Hulk gets explained and that's the only reason I've been hanging on this long. Well, that and the art. Here, I know how to explain this; this Hulk book is like watching a Michael Bay film: it's got some silly bits, some explosions, some stuff that's meant to be character building but isn't, and is fun if you don't think about it at all. Once you think about it, the story collapses around you, no matter how pretty it, or the girls in it, look.

Doctor Who - The Time Machination was fun. I remember having discussions online about continuity and, if the show was to return, whether it should bother to acknowledge the old stories or just start over. When the show did return, it did both and neither, which was really very clever indeed. This comic shows why keeping continuity can create new stories, not inhibit them as two 'classic' stories are referenced while using current continuity to create a new story for the David Tennant Doctor. Fun book.

Uncanny X-Men #510 features more of Greg Land's pretty looking but soulless feeling art. It is affecting my interest in the story. It just feels very processed. It's like he draws each character in three or four posts, scans them into a computer, and then photoshops the pictures together. Meh.

Fantastic Four #566 has us beholding the Masters of Doom! Doctor Doom that is. The story builds nicely, giving us detail on what's up for the FF and lets us see Doom preparing for his masters. When they arrive and he cowtows to them, it's creepy. They feel like a Big Deal. That said, it feels like Mark Millar is introducing a slightly more sane Judge Death into the Marvel Universe. That's not necessarily a bad thing.

Punisher #5 provides a big 'What The!?!' moment. Also a 'how long has this been going on?!?' moment that fades into a 'well, that might explain a lot' moment. It's all the same moment. At the end of the day, the important thing is that Frank Castle will have people to kill.

Tales of the TMNT #58 has a tight, cartoony art style, is the end of a trilogy of stories, has time travel, has space travel, has a scene with alternate dimensions, has a giant space vampire, and the C.O.W.Boys of Moo Mesa in it. What's not to like? I thought it was much fun.

All Hail Megatron #11 sets Megatron up in grand fashion while delivering much big action and excitement as well. Watching the Transformers cartoon in the 80's, it was easy to think of Megatron as a bit of an idiot. He'd transform into the gun and leap into the hands of Starscream, who was always seeking to take his place. Why should he ever trust him? This issue explains Megatron's motivations and sets him as a master planner, explaining how this plan went so right for a change as well as why he treats Starscream as he does. Neither character is a caricature anymore but plotters that have use for the other at the time. I had earlier wondered about the pacing of this series but it's been very deliberate, or maybe not as two 'coda' issues have now been scheduled! Good stuff this.